Famous NCAA Men's Basketball Rivalries - 2022

By: Johnny Falduto

Published: 21 January, 2022

1. Duke v North Carolina

In all of collegiate and professional sports, you will not find many rivalries more intense than when Duke and North Carolina meet on the hardwood. The schools, located just under ten miles apart from one another, first met on January 24, 1920; since then, they have produced some of the most classic games in college basketball history, often featuring some of the premiere players and coaches in the country.

All time, North Carolina leads the series 141-114; they also boast of six National Championships compared to Duke’s five, with the teams combining for ten National Championships over the last 36 years. In conference play, Duke holds the most ACC Tournament Championships of any team at 21, while the Tarheels hold the second most at 18. The Tarheels sit at No. 3 on the all-time wins list in NCAA men’s basketball history, while Duke is right behind them at No. 4.

Some of the most memorable games in the rivalry include a triple overtime win for Duke in 1968, a 1974 North Carolina win that saw the team score eight points in the final 17 seconds, a double overtime win for the Tarheels that featured a shot from the logo to force overtime in 1995, and an Austin Rivers buzzer beater in 2012 to give the Blue Devils the victory.

If history tells us anything, Duke and North Carolina will continue to provide basketball fans with some of the most entertaining games in the sport every season for years to come.

Duke and North Carolina Men's Basketball Schedule and Roster

When do North Carolina and Duke play in 2022?

Saturday, Feb. 6 2022 on ESPN at North Carolina
Saturday, Mar. 5 2022 on ESPN at Duke

2. Kentucky v Louisville

Kentucky and Louisville are among the most decorated programs in all of college basketball, and their proximity to one another makes it no surprise that there is bad blood between the two schools on the court.

Aside from their passion for being the premiere program in the state of Kentucky, the rivalry picked up steam in 2001 when former Kentucky head coach Rick Pitino was named the head coach at Louisville, where he would end up coaching until 2017.

Over the course of their history, both programs have seen wins vacated and legacies tarnished; however, every time they meet on the court, fans and viewers are promised a competitive, physical game.

All time, Kentucky leads the series 37-17; the teams have met six times in the NCAA Tournament, with the Kentucky Wildcats getting the best of the Cardinals four of those times, including in the 2012 Final Four.

Kentucky sits with the most wins all time in college basketball history, and holds eight national championships to Louisville’s three, one of which has been vacated.

Some of the most memorable games in the rivalry include an 80-68 overtime win for Louisville in 1983, a 76-75 Kentucky buzzer-beating win in 1987, an unranked Cardinals win over No. 1 ranked Kentucky in 1995, and a 2010 Kentucky victory that featured five technical fouls and intense physicality between John Calipari and Rick Pitino’s squads.

Kentucky and Louisville Men's Basketball Schedule and Roster

When do Kentucky and Louisville play in 2022?

They do not play during the regular season in 2022.

3. Indiana v Purdue

The rivalry between Indiana University and Purdue University is among the most contentious in the country, as the two Big Ten teams fight yearly for supremacy of the basketball-crazed state of Indiana. As two of the top 20 winningest programs in NCAA basketball history, Purdue leads the all-time series 124-89, while Indiana has won five national championships compared to Purdue’s zero.

The rivalry reached its peak in the 1970s through the 1990s when two legendary coaches, Bob Knight for Indiana and Gene Keady at Purdue, dominated the Big Ten.

Among the most memorable games include a 1985 Purdue victory that featured Bob Knight throwing a chair across the court, the Hoosiers 2005 win in the only double-overtime game in the rivalry’s history, and a 1981 game that saw Indiana’s Isiah Thomas sucker punch Purdue’s Roosevelt Barnes.

Purdue has dominated the rivalry in recent years under coach Matt Painter, while Indiana has struggled to find a head coach to build their program around and bring them back to contention in the rivalry and especially in the Big Ten overall.

Purdue and Indiana Men's Basketball Schedule and Roster

When do Purdue and Indiana play in 2022?

Thursday, Jan 20 at Indiana on FS1.

Indiana defeated #4 ranked Purdue, 68-65 behind Lafayette, Indiana native Rob Phinisee came off-the-bench to lead the Hoosiers to an improbable victory. Purdue had prior won the nine previous match-ups.

Saturday, Mar 5 at Purdue